thompson



(No Model.) 2 shemnssheetV 1.

(N. THOMPSON.

A STOPPBR POR BOTTLES AND JARS.- No. 295,306. Patented Mar. 18, 1884.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

`N.ETEUJMP'SON- Y STOPPER FOB, BQTTLBS AND JARS.

No. 295,306.V ,Patemeed Mar. 18, 1884.

NATHAN THOMPSON,.OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK.

STOPPER FOR BOTTLES AND JARS.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 295,305, dated March 18, 1884. Application tiled November l= 1883. (No modcLlv Patented in England April 17. 1883, No. 1,942.

To aZZ whom it may concern: l

Be it known that I, NATHAN THOMPSON, a citizen ci the United States, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, in the United States of America, but at present residing at 23 Southampton Buildings, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented certain new and 'useful Improvements in Stoppers or Covers for Bottles, Jars, and ro other Hollow Articles, (for which I have received Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 1,9%?, dated April 17, 1883,) of which the following is a specifica-tion.

The invention has for its object improver 5 ments upon that class of Stoppers or covers for bottles, jars,` and other hollow articles described in the specifications of English Letters Patent granted to me and dated, respectively, January 22, .1874, No. 276, and J une 16, 2o 1875, No. 2,217. In the former of suoli speciiications is shown and described a stopper or cover formed on the top thereof with circular iuclincs, and in combination with this stopper or cover a clip or strap is used, which passes across the stopper or cover and is formed with turned-in ends or legs, which pass under a flange or ring on the bottle-neck. Then, by turning such clip or strap around the stopper or cover so as to cause it to mount the in- 5o clines, the stopper or cover is pressed firmly onto the end of the bottle-neck. rllhis arrangement has, however, the disadvantagethat it consists of two separate disconnected parts, thereby involving trouble in use and liability 3 5 to loss of one or the other of the said parts, in addition to which the cap or stopper and the clip or strap require to be provided with sockets in the center thereof to receive an instrument, to facilitate the adjustment and to turning of the clip or strap, as otherwise the said clip or strap is liable, on being turned, to be forced out of its required central position. In the latter of the aforesaid specifications I have endeavored to obviate the difficulty abovementioned; but in this case, in

lieu of employing a strap or clip extending across the stopper or cover, an annular clip is employed, which is expensive to' produce, causes considerable friction, and is difficult 5o ii' not impossible of application in cases where other hollow articles.

the necks of the bottles somewhat vary in form from the true circle.

According to my present invention, I obviate all the diiiiculties above described and produce a cheap and efficient stopper or cover, having its operating parts suitably connected and capable of ready application to bottles or To this end I combine my present improvement with a sealing cap or stopper formed, as described in my afore- 6o said specifications, with two inclines on the outer edge of the top thereof; and such sealing cap or stopper may be made ci' glass, earthenware', or other solid material, or of sheet met-al stamped into the required shape. lVhen the sealing cap or stopper is made of sheet metal, I place in the interior thereof a compression-plate and then a disk of cork or other suitable packing material. rlhe com` pression-plate is kept in position by the tight 7c fit of the parts, and the cork packing is cemented to the compression-plate. The coinpression-plate is preferably formed with an annular descending rib at or near the edge thereof, and in such position as to come exactly over the end of the neck of the bottle or other article to which the stopper is to be applied, and in some cases I secure the cork or other packing material to the compressionplate by turning the edge of the plate over 8o the same. This compression-plate serves to cover the hollows in the interior of the sealing cap or stopper, and to transmit the pressure direct to that part of the cork or other lining coming between the same and the neck of the bottle or other article, while the annular rib also serves to prevent the twisting or bending of the compression-plate out of shape.

In connection with a sealing cap or stopper formed as above described, I employ a 9o strong .clip or strap extending across the sealing cap orstopper, and provided with downwardly-projecting legs formed with inwardlyturned projections, acting as lugs to come under the sealing cap or stopper and under a lange on the neck of the bottle or other article, as described in the specifica-tion oi' my aforesaid patent of 1874, but, instead of such clip or strap being separate from the sealing cap or stopper, as shown and described in roo placed endwise thereon, in which case the clip or strap may be formed with more than two descending legs. I also form it with a cylindrical part, only just long enough to retain and protect the cork or other packing therein, and of diameter the same as or slightly smaller than that of the flange on the neck ofthe bottle. In the former case the neck of the bottle is formed with a continuous flange around it, while in the latter case the flange is provided with two or more openings, so as to permit of the inwardly-turned projections of the legs of the clip or strap being first passed down such openings and then underneath the flange, and in such case I prefer to form stops on the bottle-neck, underneath the flange, to limit the rotary motion of the clip or strap. In some cases I cause the compression-plate to act as a spring by forming it so as to bear against the sealing cap or stopper a short distance from its edge, thereby leaving the annular rib and adjacent part free of the stopper. This form of compression-plate can be used with a sealing cap or stopper formed either of solid material, which may be turned, molded, or otherwise formed of the required shape, or of sheet metal stamped or otherwise shaped.

In applying the sealing cap or stopper to a bottle or other article, it is first placed in position on the neck of the article. Then, in order to force it firmly down to its scat,the clip or strap is rotated, while the sealing cap or stopper is firmly held. By these means the clip or strap is caused to mount the inclines, and thereby force the sealing cap or stopper firmly down on the bottle-neck. The sealing cap or stopper may also be formed to enter a short distance into the neck of the bottle, and in such case it would be provided with a head or flange, between which and the top edge of the bottle-neck the cork or other packing can be placed.

To facilitate the application of my improved stopper to metal bottles or cans and to flasks, I form the seat and fittings for the stopper by casting, turning, or stamping, and I cement, solder, or braze such 'seat and fittings to the neck of the bottle, can, or flask.

In order that my said invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the accompanying drawings, more fully to describe the In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section, Fig. 2 is a side view, and Fig. 3 is a plan, of' one form of my improved stopper or cover as applied to a large-mouthed bottle and Fig. 4 is a side view, and Fig. 5 isa section, showing slight modifications in the construction of the stopper or cover. Fig. 6 is a vertical section, Fig. 7 is a side elevation,

'and Fig. 8 is a plan, showing my improved stopper or cover applied to a metal can with a narrow mouth. Fig. 9 is a side elevation, partly in section, and Fig. 10 is aplan, showing my improved stopper applied to a metal vessel with a wide mouth. Fig. 11 is a side elevation, partly in section, and Fig. 12 is a plan,-showing my improved stopper applied to an earthenware pot, into which it slightly enters, and to which it is applied endwise.

In all the figures like parts are marked with similar letters of reference.

a is a sealing cap or cover,which, as represented at Figs. l to 8, is made of sheet metal, stamped into the required shape; but, as shown at Figs. 9 to l2, it is made of metal, earthenware, or other solid material capable of being cast, turned, molded, or otherwise formed into the required shape. The sealing cap or cover a has two or more inclines, a, formed on the outer edge of the top thereof; and when made of sheet metal, I fit in the interior thereof a compression-plate, b, and a disk, c, of cork or other packing material, which disk c may be held in place by tightly fitting the interior of the sealing cap or cover a, as shown at Figs. 1 and 6; or it may be secured to the compression-plate b by the edge of the latter being turned over the same, as shown at Fig. 5. The compression-plate b is preferably formed with an annular descending rib, b, at or near the edge thereof, in such position as to come eX- actly over the end of the neck of .the bottle or other article, cZ,which the stopper is to be applied. This compression -plate b serves to cover the hollows in the interior of the sealing cap or stopper c,and to transmit the pressure direct to that part of the cork or other lining coming between the same and the neck of the bottle or other article, d,while the annular rib b also serves to prevent the twisting or bending of the compression-plate b out of shape. e is a clip or strap,which extends across the cap or stopper a, and is provided with downwardly-projecting legs e, formed with inwardly-turned. projections e2 to come under the cap and under a flange, d, on the neck of the bottle or other article, d; and, according to my present invention, I connect the clip or strap c to the cap or stopper a by a pin or stud, j', which, as shown at Figs. l to 8, may be fixed to the cap or stopper a, in which case the clip or strap e, in addition to turning around the same, will move up and down thereon, as when being turned it is caused to ascend or descend the inclines a; or, as shown in the arrangement represented at Figs. 9 to l2, the said pin or stud f may be fixed to the clip or strap e, and work up and down in a socket or recess, a2, formed in the sealing cap or stopper a.

According to the arrangements represented at Figs. 1 to 10, the improved stopper is slid IOC sidewise into position on the bottle-neck, and it is sometimes, as shown at Fig. 4, provided with a stop, c, to secure its correct adjustment. I also form the sealing cap or stopper cc-withits cylindricalpart only just long enough to retain and protect the cork or other packing, c, therein, and of diameter the same as or slightly smaller than that of the iiange d on the bottle or other article, d, which flange d', in the arrangements represented at Figs. l to 10, is formed continuous around the neck of the bottle or other article; but in the arrangement represented at Figs. 11 and l2, in which the stopper is applied endwise to the bottle, the lange d is formed with two, or it might be more, openings, di, to permit of the in wardly-turned projections e2 of the legs e of the clip or strap e being passed down such openings d? and then underneath the liange d', and in such ease I prefer to form stops di on the bottle-neck underneath the ilange d to limit the rotary motion of the clip or strap e.

In some cases I cause the compressioirplate Z) to act as a spring by forming it so as to bear against the sealing cap or stopper a a short distance from its edge, as shown in the drawings, thereby leaving the annular rib b and adjacent part free of the stopper a. This form of compressioirplate b can be used with a sealing cap or stopper formed either of solid material turned, molded, or otherwise formed of the required shape, or of sheet metal stamped or otherwise shaped.

In applyingthe sealing cap or stopper represented at Figs. l to 10 to a bottle or other article, it is first placed in position on the neck of the article by sliding it sidewisc. Then, in order to 'force it firmly down to its sea-t, the clip or strap cisrotated while the sealing cap or stopper a. is firmly held. By these means the clip or strap c is caused to mount the inclines c', and thereby force the sealing cap or stopper a rmly down onto the bottleneck.

The sealing cap or stopper a may also, as shown at Fig. 11, be formed to entera short distance into the neck of the bottle, and in such ease it is provided with a head or flange, a?, between which and the edge of the bottleneck the cork or other packing, c, is placed.

In applying the above-described modilication to a bottle or other article, the sliding parts are 'first pushed outward to their eX- treme position by pressing the stud f into the socket in the cap, when their descending legs c and inwardly-turned projections e will be sufficiently extended to enable them freely to pass the flange d on the bottle-neck. Then, when the stopper a is in position, such sliding` parts will be retracted, their inwardly-turned projections e2 being then underneath the said flange d. Then, by turning the clip or strap c around the sealing cap or stopper a, as above described, the said sealing cap or stopper c can be forced firmly down onto the neck of the bottle or other article.

To facilitate the application of my improved stopper to metal bottles or cans and to ilasks, I form the seat d and fittings for the stopper separately by casting, turning, or stamping; and I cement, solder, or brazo such seat and iittings to the neck ofthe bottle, can, or ilask, as represented at Figs. 6, 7, and 8.

It will be seen that the clip is connected with the stopper in such a manner that it can rise and fall without becoming disconnected therefrom, the pin being so long that the cap cannot be removed sidewise from the clip, and is prevented from moving downward by the inturned ends e?.

Having thus described the nature of my said invention and the mode in which I carry the same into effect, I would have it understood that what I claim isk l. The combination of a sealing-cap, such as a., having a central opening and v two inclines on the outer edge of its top, a clip or strap, such as c, having legs c and intnrned ends c?, and a long pin occupying the central opening and securing the cap to the clip or strap in connection with the inturncd ends, which project inwardly beneath the edge ol the cap and limit its downward movement, as set forth.

2. The combination of parts forming my improved stopper, and consisting ofa sealingcap, such as c, and clip or strap, such as e, with a stud or pin, such as f, and a compression-plate, such as Z, within the cap, the clip being permanently secured to the sealing-cap, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose stated.

NATHAN THOMPSON.

XVitnesses:

B. J. B. Mints, C. M. "Wi-nre, Boh of 23 .Soufhmnpmi Buildings, London.

IOO 

